By Megan Kennelly, Plant Pathologist Several tomato diseases and disorders cause leaf spots and fruit rots. Typically, these diseases do not kill the plants, but they can lead to significant yield and quality losses. Many disease-causing microorganisms can survive in plant debris,on seed, or in the soil. Proper sanitation is one of the best ways to prevent or reduce losses. Gardeners should remove all tomato debris in the fall and avoid...

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**Article first posted June 18, 2014** Pickled watermelon rinds you might be wondering, what made us think of that?  We like to post facts, helpful hints and more on our Facebook to keep you informed in a fun way. Last week we posted this: “FUN FACT:The first cookbook that was published in 1176 contained a recipe for watermelon rind pickles.” Well, that got a lot of requests for the recipe. We were going to put it in our...

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Crepe Myrtle:   Did you plant Crape Myrtle last year and it’s still not begun to sprout this season?  It’s probably not dead – don’t dig it up!   We had a hard winter and it caused them to stay dormant longer … but they are going to bud.   Below see three images of Zuni Crape Myrtle that we planted outside the greenhouse last year.  One just sprouted as of writing this (June 2, 2014), the other began a week ago and the last two...

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Month of May Gardening To Do Tips … Tips & Tricks VEGETABLES     –  Beginning in May, plant pumpkin and herb seeds and plants. Basil, sage and savory may be direct seeded.   –  Plant beans, cucumbers, eggplant, melons, peppers, okra, Swiss chard, tomatoes, squash and sweet potatoes.   –  Side-dress beans 2-3 weeks after emergence.   –  Thin and harvest beets, carrots,...

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The most asked question this week to us was “I am looking for vegetable plants that are GMO free. Are your plants GMO free”? Here’s the answer – Yes! We sell NO GMO plants, Some are hybrids created naturally by crossing two plant parents to create the desired seed. These are not laboratory modified. We also carry many heirloom varieties where seeds of the same variety have been saved for generations. Actually the...

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Kick-Start Your Spring with an Indoor Garden Seeding indoors is a great way to get your garden started If you start vegetable plants indoors, it is often helpful to list seeding dates on a calendar so that plants are ready for transplanting at the proper time.  To do this, choose your transplant date and count back the number of weeks necessary to grow your own transplants.  For example, cabbage, broccoli and cauliflower are usually...

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